Just Back from SeaWorld for My girls B'day, Not Good! UPDATE 10/16! #13

lovmy2girls

DIS Veteran<br><font color=purple>I tell ya, if yo
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Well, for those of you who keep up with the SeaWorld thread know we were going down for my girls B'Day Sep.22, and dinning with Shamu that night too. I ordered a Birthday Cake when I called to make the ressie and talked the the operator about the whole thing. The price was a cheap $15.00, I had no problem with that at all. I thought this will be great, she will love this. It was going to be a surprise but it got out that we were having a cake at Dinner that night with Shamu, and she was still excited, very very excited to be there again. This would be our second trip backstage dinning and we were looking foward to it very much. Last time was such a great experience.

It did not go well at all this time! Our table was beside a beam so my daughter could not see well at all unless she got out of her chair, and then because our table was in the "curve" the tables in front and back were very close to us, so everytime someone wanted to get up to get food, we banged into the person behind us. As it were, even if I was a slim 105 pounds, I still would have been squished due to the lack of room for our chairs because of the way the table were set up in that "curve" placement. The lady behind me, who was bigger than I was, was not giving any ground in her position , and she needed a lot of room. The lines for the food were long due to the small room the food is in and was not moving quickly at all. We must have been in line 25 min before we stepped out to just come back when the line got shorter. When we returned the Mac and Cheese was gone for the kids, and the pasta too. The line moves slow due to the parents helping the kids, which is expected. We must have been there early this past summer, because I don't remember being in line like that. The kids should have a section away from the adults so it does not hold other people up maybe. I don't know, but a lot of time wasted in line for food, then to find its gone when you get there. To top it off, because we were one of the last ones to get our food, we were one of the last to get dessert. We we went back, it was gone. No cheesecake, no chocolate cake. Nothing! They said they would bring out more, we kept an eye open but its hard to watch Shamu, stand in line, and keep and eye out for when they bring food out...etc....But here is the worst part. There were 2 other birthdays that dinner, and they got a cake and a birthdays song. I thought we must be next....we waited and waited....NOTHING. I asked when would our cake be coming and she said she didn't have us down for a cake!!!!!! But she could have one here before we leave to take home! What????? That's not exactly how I wanted this evening to go. For that fact I could have went to WalMart and picked up a cake and skipped the whole dinner with the Mu. I was so angry, my 9yr old is in tears because she didn't get a birthday cake or song like the other people did. Her seat to watch Shamu is awful because of the post in our way. She is hungry for mac n cheese and pasta which is gone and still not replaced yet. Needless to say, I am still very upset. I know things happen and no one is perfect, but it would seem someone should have to answer for this. We went back to the Beach Club that night and wanted to stay a few more days to have a cake delivered somewhere else. We wound up staying 2 nights at the Poly and having a cake sent to the Kona. She smiled and enjoyed it I guess, but it should have been on her B'Day with Shamu, and it just didn't go well at all. I even got this shirt made for her with a pic of a killer whale and under it is says Shamus #1 fan. It really should have been a wonderful day for her, but it came up way short, and there was nothing I could do, it was all out of my control....from the food, to our seat, to the cake. I did my job, I did what I had to do... and because of other people...it gets messed up. :mad:
 
Juts a tip: I'm sorry but I can't read this--the green is too hard on the eyes. Maybe another color or plain black for such a long thread???
 
What a shame! You may consider sending a copy of this write-up to Sea World's management and/or the restaurant management. If I were a manager, I would want this feedback and the chance to try to make it up to you (and your 9 yr old daughter) on a future Orlando visit. If you do write them, be sure to tell them that your previous good experience was what helped you decide to do this for her birthday.

Glad that she still got some special treatment later in the trip, at the Kona, even if it wasn't what you'd wanted.
 

We are going to SW when we are down for my DGS burthday in Jan. Think we will make SW just another park day and celebrate his birthday at Disney--where they rarely if ever mess it up.
 
My husband says I should write a letter. This is just not one little thing, like no pasta no dessert, but other things too, that add up, that someone should know about. Its a management problem back there I think......... They did refund my cake of $15.00, but it does not give back my kids B'Day dinner with a cake and at least a view of the Mu without having to get out of her seat.
 
I think that you should definitely write a letter. That really stinks. I don't think that I would have held my compsure like you did though.
 
I think that you should definitely write a letter. That really stinks. I don't think that I would have held my compsure like you did though.

Well, I was in tears. Its really hard to describe the anger and heartbreak you feel all at one time.
 
Did you ask to speak to a manager? If not, you should have right then and there so they could have come up with something for you. A lot of thought and planning go into these things and to have your 9 year old sitting there on her birthday while others are getting sung to is terrible. Even if they didn't have the cake on site they could have done something with whip cream and a candle and at least a song!!

We went to Chef Mickey's years ago for a special night for my daughter. She's was a bit of shy kid and was very excited to go there and get Mickey's autograph. I really didn't want to spend $150 on dinner but it was for her and it was the kick off to our trip. Well, so weird -but Mickey kept completely ignoring her. She would stand patiently while he was signing kids books and then he'd look at her, hold up a finger (like just a minute) and then walk away. She'd kind of shyly follow 5 or 10 feet behind him while he signed other kids books and then kept turning to her and holding up his finger. She sat back down and waited for him to come to the table and he kept going to other tables and to the kids swarming around him. It was just her, that he wouldn't sign. After an hour of this, she just kind of hung her head and said it's OK, never mind. My husband was very upset and asked to see the manager. Wanted to know why his kid was being blatently ignored by Mickey. Well, the manager got the Big M and she got a little stuffed animal etc. We never did figure out the problem and looking back now the whole thing was so ridiculous. At the time it was HUGE for what we had planned and her disappointment was heartbreaking and infuriating to us. Kind of funny when we were leaving Fantasmic a few days later with our older teens and our little one, DH said, See Meg, no one should ever, ever, mess with the Mouse--- to which our older kids yelled back---- EXCEPT FOR YOU! It's kind of a family joke now.

Anyway, I'm rambleing but I do have compassion for you and you should contact management.

Jenn
 
I would have confirmed when you arrived to confirm that your cake. that you paid for with your reservation, was still going to happen as planned.
 
just came back and did the dine w/shamu..wasnt impressed. the food choice was ok..nothing special...the desserts were better than the food. shamu came out of the water like 4 times and that was it. no where near our table. and then the trainers come around to talk to the kids. my girls are 3, what are 3 years olds gonna ask a complete stranger? its different when its a character. wont do it again. the disney buffets were outstanding compared to this and cheaper.
 
We went to Chef Mickey's years ago for a special night for my daughter. She's was a bit of shy kid and was very excited to go there and get Mickey's autograph. I really didn't want to spend $150 on dinner but it was for her and it was the kick off to our trip. Well, so weird -but Mickey kept completely ignoring her. She would stand patiently while he was signing kids books and then he'd look at her, hold up a finger (like just a minute) and then walk away. She'd kind of shyly follow 5 or 10 feet behind him while he signed other kids books and then kept turning to her and holding up his finger. She sat back down and waited for him to come to the table and he kept going to other tables and to the kids swarming around him. It was just her, that he wouldn't sign. After an hour of this, she just kind of hung her head and said it's OK, never mind. My husband was very upset and asked to see the manager. Wanted to know why his kid was being blatently ignored by Mickey. Well, the manager got the Big M and she got a little stuffed animal etc. We never did figure out the problem and looking back now the whole thing was so ridiculous. At the time it was HUGE for what we had planned and her disappointment was heartbreaking and infuriating to us. Kind of funny when we were leaving Fantasmic a few days later with our older teens and our little one, DH said, See Meg, no one should ever, ever, mess with the Mouse--- to which our older kids yelled back---- EXCEPT FOR YOU! It's kind of a family joke now.

Anyway, I'm rambleing but I do have compassion for you and you should contact management.

Jenn

Well, just a little insight. Your suppose to wait for the characters to come to your table. They frown on kids chasing them around during character meals. I'm guessing thats why Mickey was ignorning her unless I misunderstood your post.
 
UPDATE! Just received a letter and a Belated Birthday gift from the Executive Vice President and General Manager of SeaWorld Mr. Jim Atchison. I'm guessing my strongly worded letter I sent certified reached his hands, or at the very least his personal assistant. Lets just say we are all happy. We will be going back to SeaWorld on December 14th after our cruise. My "Mu Fan" is very excited to see the killer whales again. :goodvibes We already had year passes. She did get a belated birthday gift, a SeaWorld bag with a plush, and other Mu stuff. She really went nuts. A letter from the GM with an invite to Sharks Grill and....a backstage visit with a trainer and the MU! His assistant is handling it all. We are going Dec. 14th. His letter was really nice. He expressed how sorry he was that our cake didn't get delivered etc...said he wanted to try and make it up to us. We shall see.
 
I am so glad to hear that they responded in such a positive way! You will have to let us know how Dec 14th works out for you

And note to eeryone - get your desserts BEFORE your meal!:rotfl2:
 





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